Grand slam caps Twins’ comeback win over Astros

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Chris Colabello’s second home run of the game, a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning, gave the Twins a 10-6 win over the Astros on a decidedly off-kilter Labor Day afternoon before a gathering of 14,287 at Minute Maid Park.

The Astros scored three runs in the first and led 6-1 after three but were undone by shaky pitching from Paul Clemens, who allowed seven hits and four runs, three of them earned, before he was yanked with two out in the fourth, and relievers Lucas Harrell, Josh Fields, Kevin Chapman and Chia-Jen Lo.

Lo (0-3) was the primary culprit in the ninth, but he had help. Astros shortstop Jonathan Villar, who was thrown out in the eighth trying to steal second, ranged to his left to track down a one-out grounder by second baseman Brian Dozier, but his throw went into the Astros’ dugout and Dozier was awarded second after the base hit.

Lo struck out DH Josh Willingham but walked Doug Bernier and Chris Herrmann, and Colabello deposited Lo’s first pitch into the Astros’ bullpen in right center for the game-winner.

Both teams had 13 hits, including four by Jose Altuve, who was thrown out trying to stretch his fourth into a double in the top of the ninth. Catcher Jason Castro drove in two runs and scored a run before leaving with a sprained knee.

Reliever Josh Roenicke (3-1), who pitched two innings of scoreless ball in the seventh and eighth, got the win.

Houston feasted off early mistakes by Twins starter Andrew Albers, who didn’t make it out of the second inning and was tagged for five runs. Reliever Anthony Swarzak allowed the Astros’ sixth run on an Altuve base hit in the third that scored Villar.

The injury to Castro’s right knee, the same knee that required 2011 surgery to repair a torn ACL, was of the most immediate concern after the game.

Castro, the Astros’ lone All-Star representative, appeared to be walking gingerly at the plate after a swing that resulted in a foul ball. He delivered a run-scoring single on the next pitch but pulled up as he rounded the bag and left the game after a consultation with manager Bo Porter and team athletic trainers.

Team officials did not immediately elaborate on the nature of the injury and if or for how long Castro might be sidelined.

The Astros pounced quickly on Albers. Robbie Grossman doubled to right center and went to third as, for the second day in a row, the Astros got a break on a bunt when the Twins didn’t cover first on Altuve’s bunt down the first-base line. Castro followed with a single between third and shortstop on a 3-2 pitch that scored Grossman.

Dominguez moved Altuve to third on a flyout to right, and Altuve scored as Chris Carter singled on an 0-2 pitch. Castro, who took third on the Carter base hit, scored on Trevor Crowe’s first-pitch base hit to right to make it 3-0.

The Twins got a run back in the second on Trevor Plouffe’s solo home run, but Houston scored twice in the bottom of the inning. Villar led off with a double and took third as Grossman bunted for a base hit. Villar was picked off third on Altuve’s grounder to third for the first out, but Grossman took second and scored on Castro’s second base hit before leaving the game.

After Matt Dominguez struck out for the second out of the inning, Chris Carter doubled to right to score Altuve and make it 5-1.

The teams traded runs in the third. Alex Presley, acquired over the weekend from the Pirates in the trade for Justin Morneau, walked with two outs and scored on Darin Mastroianni’s double to make it 5-2. The Astros countered in the bottom of the third as Villar walked, took second on a walk to Grossman, stole third and scored on an Altuve base hit.

But the Twins kept chipping away. Colabello added a solo homer in the fourth, and Clete Thomas singled, took second on an error by centerfielder Brandon Barnes and scored on Pedro Florimon’s base hit, effectively ending Clemens’ afternoon.

Brian Dozier’s solo homer off reliever Lucas Harrell made it 6-5, and it could have been worse for the Astros but for a unique double play after Harrell walked Josh Willlingham and gave up back-to-back base hits to Plouffe and catcher Chris Herrmann but got out of trouble with a unique double play.

Barnes’ throw after the Herrmann single to center hit the cutoff man, Villar, as Willingham paused on the basepath between third and home. Villar ran toward home, faking a throw and attempting to force Willingham into a decision, and Willingham opted to come home. Villar then threw to catcher Cody Clark, who tagged Willlingham for the first out of the inning.

Clark then threw to third baseman Matt Dominguez, who caught Plouffe in a rundown between second and third. Dominguez ran Plouffe back to second as Herrmann came chugging into the bag, and as they both stood on second, Hermann was called out to complete the double play. Harrell then struck out Colabello to end the threat.

Minnesota tied it in the eighth against relievers Josh Fields and Kevin Chapman, the third and fourth of five Houston pitchers. Fields walked Plouffe to open the inning and was replaced by Chapman. Herrmann sacrificed pinch runner Doug Bernier and, after Chapman intentionally walked Ryan Doumit, Florimon singled to center to score Bernier.